In addition to being home to Piedmont Periodontics, Midtown is the cultural epicenter of Atlanta. This summer museum-quality metal sculptures of giant birds, fluttering butterflies, blooming flowers, and grazing deer take center stage among the floral landscape at Atlanta Botanical Garden. Inspired by the centuries-old Japanese art of folding paper, these monumental sculptures were each brought to life from a single sheet of folded paper.

The artists behind the masterly symbolic art installation are New Mexico residents Kevin and Jennifer Box who have focused their career on creating public art using casting and fabrication techniques. Explore 18 installations of nearly 70 sculptures throughout the garden from until October 16, 2022.

The highlight of the show is Master Peace, a 25-foot-tall sculpture composed of hundreds of stainless steel origami peace cranes towering over Howell Fountain.

Origami in the Garden features Kevin Box’s own compositions as well as collaborations with world-renowned origami artists Te Jui Fu, Beth Johnson, Michael G. LaFosse and Robert L. Lang.

Have you seen the sculpture inspiring conversation at the corner of 10th and Peachtree?

Conversation Peace was installed in Midtown on November 12, 2021, in conjunction with National Origami Day in Japan. The work is a sculptural interpretation of Rock-Paper-Scissors, a game that — along with paper — dates back to approximately 200 BC. The game became popular in the United States during the early 20th century as interaction between Asia and the west increased.

While Rock-Paper-Scissors is often used to settle lighthearted conflicts, Artist Kevin Box used these objects to symbolize conflicting forces that have found balance. In the piece, “paper” wins the game by folding itself into a crane — an international symbol of peace.

Conversation Peace is the newest Heart of the Arts installation erected on property owned by the Dewberry Capital Corporation and leased to the Midtown Alliance for $1 per year. The initiative expresses Midtown’s uniquely creative atmosphere and culture. In addition to public art installations, Heart of the Arts colors empty storefronts, fills the streets with music, and sponsors the annual Parliament of Owls parade.

Be sure to drive by the sculpture next time you visit Peidmont Periodontics Midtown Atlanta office. The work also ties into Origami in the Garden, an exhibit that opens this week at Atlanta Botanical Garden.